England cricketer Graeme Swann was caught drink-driving while on a mercy mission to rescue his trapped cat, a court was told yesterday.

The 31-year-old off-spinner was stopped in the early hours after driving to a supermarket to get screwdrivers to free the animal trapped under floorboards at his luxury home.

Yesterday, Swann, the England Cricketer of the Year, denied drink-driving, claiming police had not followed the correct procedures after his arrest.

Nottingham magistrates heard that Swann arrived at his four-bedroom detached home in West Bridgford,

Nottingham, with his wife Sarah in the early hours of April 2 to find the cat trapped under the floor.

Swann, ranked the third-best Test bowler in the world, then set off in his white Porsche Cayenne to a nearby 24-hour Asda store, only to be pulled over as he drove home.

PC Steven Denniss told the court: ‘When I approached a junction I saw a white Porsche Cayenne. Due to burglaries and the theft of high-performance vehicles in the area, I thought it prudent to check the Porsche.

‘I kept the vehicle in sight and it speeded up. I increased my speed and told the control room that the Porsche was making off at speed.

‘I then put on my blue warning light and the Porsche stopped.

‘A male got out of the driver’s seat with his hands in the air. I saw
something in his right hand and saw they were a set of screwdrivers.

‘I could smell intoxicating drink on his breath and arrested him.

‘He said he’d been out that evening with friends and returned home to
find a cat trapped under floorboards in the house and had gone to Asda
to buy a screwdriver so he could loosen the boards.

‘His speech was slightly slurred. He said: “I’m sorry. I know I
should not be driving but I only went to Asda to get some
screwdrivers”.’

Swann's car, in which he was stopped because he was driving a high-performance car in an area where burglaries were common

Rescue: Swann's cat was trapped

PC Caroline Voce, the other officer involved in the arrest, said: ‘Mr
Swann was in the process of being handcuffed. I was probably only a
foot away. I would say he was in drink, from his manner and actions.

‘He said he had been out celebrating his birthday weekend with his
partner.

‘Mr Swann was in a panic and seemed very concerned about the cat.’

Swann, who plays for Nottinghamshire, was given a roadside breath
test which gave a reading of 46 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres
of breath.

The legal limit is 35mg.

A blood sample gave a reading of 83mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood –
just 3mg above the limit.

Phillip Lucas, defending, said the case should be dropped because
police had not followed the correct procedures when arresting and
charging a known ‘borderline’ drink-driver.

The case was adjourned until October 7. Swann is due to play for
England in the Third Test against Pakistan at The Oval in London,
starting tomorrow.